Narrative:

Air carrier X arriving at gatwick on the WLO1A arrival after an uneventful north atlantic night crossing. Approaching southampton, our widebody transport was given delaying vectors which placed us south of the STAR between R1 and goodwood VOR. We anticipated possible holding at willo based on traffic ahead of us. I was flying the airplane as first officer. The approach controller cleared us direct to willo -- nothing further was said. Anticipating holding, I asked the captain to request direct holly if holding was expected, making a much simpler holding entry. He declined to question the approach controller, so I entered 'direct willo' via the FMC. When 'direct willo' was executed via the FMC, the holding pattern previously depicted on our HSI's partially disappeared, and during the mad rush to type in the holding pattern on the 'hold' page, I hand flew the holding entry using heading select. We exceeded -- possibly, the limits of holding airspace to the east during the initial entry, prompting a request for the captain to telephone the ATC watch supervisor upon landing. Continued approach and landing uneventful. The ATC watch supervisor questioned our understanding of the 'direct willo' clearance, and, in fact, confirmed that the controller on duty had meant for us to fly direct holly, but had told us the incorrect fix. When in doubt -- ask -- and always be ready to treat these automated cockpits like an old generation airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROBLEM FMS HSI. HOLDING PATTERN DISAPPEARED, POSSIBLE HOLDING PATTERN VIOLATION.

Narrative: ACR X ARRIVING AT GATWICK ON THE WLO1A ARR AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL N ATLANTIC NIGHT XING. APCHING SOUTHAMPTON, OUR WDB WAS GIVEN DELAYING VECTORS WHICH PLACED US S OF THE STAR BTWN R1 AND GOODWOOD VOR. WE ANTICIPATED POSSIBLE HOLDING AT WILLO BASED ON TFC AHEAD OF US. I WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AS FO. THE APCH CTLR CLRED US DIRECT TO WILLO -- NOTHING FURTHER WAS SAID. ANTICIPATING HOLDING, I ASKED THE CAPT TO REQUEST DIRECT HOLLY IF HOLDING WAS EXPECTED, MAKING A MUCH SIMPLER HOLDING ENTRY. HE DECLINED TO QUESTION THE APCH CTLR, SO I ENTERED 'DIRECT WILLO' VIA THE FMC. WHEN 'DIRECT WILLO' WAS EXECUTED VIA THE FMC, THE HOLDING PATTERN PREVIOUSLY DEPICTED ON OUR HSI'S PARTIALLY DISAPPEARED, AND DURING THE MAD RUSH TO TYPE IN THE HOLDING PATTERN ON THE 'HOLD' PAGE, I HAND FLEW THE HOLDING ENTRY USING HDG SELECT. WE EXCEEDED -- POSSIBLY, THE LIMITS OF HOLDING AIRSPACE TO THE E DURING THE INITIAL ENTRY, PROMPTING A REQUEST FOR THE CAPT TO TELEPHONE THE ATC WATCH SUPVR UPON LNDG. CONTINUED APCH AND LNDG UNEVENTFUL. THE ATC WATCH SUPVR QUESTIONED OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE 'DIRECT WILLO' CLRNC, AND, IN FACT, CONFIRMED THAT THE CTLR ON DUTY HAD MEANT FOR US TO FLY DIRECT HOLLY, BUT HAD TOLD US THE INCORRECT FIX. WHEN IN DOUBT -- ASK -- AND ALWAYS BE READY TO TREAT THESE AUTOMATED COCKPITS LIKE AN OLD GENERATION AIRPLANE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.